Xander Schauffele won the the US PGA Championship and The Open as Americans completed a Major clean sweep in 2024.
The 2024 Major Championship season is over, with Xander Schauffele lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Troon for his second victory of the summer in one of golf's big four.
Here, we take a look back at the World Number Two's triumphs as well as those for fellow Americans Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau.
Scheffler backs up billing with second Green Jacket
As always. anticipation was high as the world's best drove down Magnolia Lane for the first Major of the year at the Masters Tournament but not since the great Tiger Woods was in his pomp had we had a hotter favourite. World Number One Scheffler had finished first, first and second in his last three starts on the PGA TOUR and with a Green Jacket already in the wardrobe from two years previously, it was easy to see why he was heavily fancied by most observers.
He went from a shot back after day one, to a share of the lead after day two and a one-shot advantage through 54 holes but he would not have it all his own way on Sunday. When his Ryder Cup team-mate Max Homa birdied the eighth, there was a four-way tie for the lead with Ludvig Åberg and Collin Morikawa also at six under. But in a three-hole stretch from the eighth, Scheffler moved through the gears to make three consecutive birdies. At the same time, Morikawa and then Åberg faltered, with double-bogeys at the ninth and the tenth respectively. Homa soon followed with one of his own at the par-three 12th. Despite a valiant effort from Åberg to work his way back into contention with back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th, Scheffler continued to push on and a closing 68 saw him seal a four-shot victory at 11 under.
"It's been a long week, a grind of a week," said Scheffler. "The golf course was so challenging, and to be sitting here wearing this jacket again and getting to take it home is extremely special. I will go home, soak in this victory tonight."
While Scheffler may have taken the headlines, it was also a successful week for Åberg who finished second on his Major Championship debut as his remarkable rise continued. Tommy Fleetwood finished in a tie for third for his best Masters finish while Woods made yet more history, recording his 24th consecutive made cut at Augusta National.
Schauffele claims maiden Major in record-breaking fashion at Valhalla
While Scheffler was the undoubted form player in the world heading into the US PGA Championship, if there was an award for next best it would probably have gone to Schauffele. He had moved up to third in the Official World Golf Ranking with two second-places and six other top tens from 12 starts in 2024, while he also had 12 top tens with two runner-up finishes in Majors. In 2023 he had equalled the record for the lowest round in Majors with a 62 at the U.S. Open and he became the first man to card that score twice with another 62 on day one at Valhalla. His three-shot lead was eaten into over the course of the next 54 holes and he entered the final day in a share of the lead, a position in which he still found himself stood on the 18th tee after countryman DeChambeau carded a 64 to set the clubhouse target at 20 under. After finding an awkward spot off the tee, it looked like we might be heading to a play-off but an excellent second was followed by a smart pitch and Schauffele holed from six feet for a closing birdie, a 65 and the lowest score to par in Major history.
"I was actually kind of emotional after the putt lipped in," he said. "It's been a while since I've won and I kept saying it all week, I just need to stay in my lane. Man, was it hard to stay in my lane today but I tried all day to just keep focus on what I'm trying to do and keep every hole ahead of me. Had some weird kind of breaks coming into the house but it's all good now."
Shane Lowry joined Schauffele in the history books with a 62 of his own on day three, helping him to a top ten alongside Viktor Hovland, Thomas Detry, Justin Rose, Billy Horschel and Robert MacIntyre.
DeChambeau's runner-up finish meant he had been in the top ten after seven of the eight Major rounds played in 2024 and his time was soon to come.
DeChambeau wins second U.S. Open in dramatic fashion
DeChambeau had long been one of the most enigmatic figures in golf, a man seemingly built for the big stage but in his first 28 Major appearances between 2015 and 2023, he had just four top tens. Of course one of those was a U.S. Open win in 2020 and four years later he rode his wave of 2024 Major momentum to repeat the trick. The home favourite entered the final day at Pinehurst with a three-shot lead but found himself two behind as Rory McIlroy made three birdies in four holes after the turn before the Northern Irishman gave them back, missing short putts on the 16th and 18th to sign for a 69. That meant DeChambeau needed a par up the last and despite hitting a ragged drive and finding sand with his second, he completed a stunning up-and-down to sign for a 71 and finish at six under, one clear of McIlroy.
“I can’t believe that up-and-down on the last, that was probably the best shot of my life," said DeChambeau. "That’s huge to get up and down and win this prestigious championship - that will be the highlight of my life.”
Frenchman Matthieu Pavon took solo fifth for his best Major finish as home players made up seven of the top 11 in North Carolina.
Schauffele does the double at Troon
Winning Major Championships is difficult and winning multiple Major Championships in the same season tends to be an achievement reserved for golf's chosen few. Arriving at The Open for the last Major of the season, the last player to win two in the same year was Brooks Koepka in 2018 and the last to complete the US PGA and Open double in a calendar year was McIlroy four years earlier. But Schauffele is no stranger to hot streaks having won the Travelers Championship, JP McManus Pro-Am and Genesis Scottish Open in three consecutive weeks in the summer of 2022 and he had followed his win at the US PGA with four top 20s coming into Troon.
An opening 69 was followed by rounds of 72-69 in very difficult conditions to ensure he entered the final day just one shot off the lead. It was still all to play for at the turn but Schauffele found another gear, putting his second to three feet at the 11th, leaving himself 16 feet at the 13th and moving ahead courtesy of a Thriston Lawrence bogey at the 12th. A brilliant tee-shot to 12 feet at the 14th was followed by a smart up-and-down at the 16th, moving Schauffele three ahead and sealing a two-shot victory at nine under after a 65.
"That walk up 18 truly is the coolest with the yellow leaderboards and the fans and the standing ovation," he said. "It really is one of the coolest feelings I've ever had in my life. I got chills walking down and quickly had to zap myself back into focus because the tournament wasn't over yet. It is an incredible feeling to be up here with the Claret Jug. It is just a result at the end of the day and I really do believe that."
It was an excellent week for DP World Tour members, with Billy Horschel and Justin Rose finishing in a tie for second, a shot clear of Lawrence and two ahead of Lowry. Qualifier Dan Brown created one of the stories of the season on his Major debut, leading after the first round and finishing in the top ten.
